Dr. William Sauerland

William Sauerland, Ed.D. (he/they), is Associate Professor of Music Education at Chapman University, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education. Prior to joining Chapman, he served as Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at Purdue University Fort Wayne, where he conducted multiple choral ensembles, taught applied voice and choral music education, and supervised student teachers. During the 2022–2023 academic year, he also served as Interim Coordinator of Vocal Studies and Interim Assistant Director of the School of Music. Earlier in his career, Sauerland taught middle school, high school, and community choruses in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Oakland Gay Men's Chorus and the Queer Chorus of San Francisco. He has also served on the faculties of San Francisco State University and Chabot College, where he received the Educator of Excellence Award from the Chabot Black Scholars. Three times he was recognized among the Fort Wayne Gazette's Top College Professors.

A teacher-scholar, Sauerland's work bridges choral music education, voice pedagogy, and music teacher education, examining how singers and teachers cultivate artistic excellence while fostering equitable, student-centered learning environments. His scholarship explores trauma-informed pedagogy, gender-expansive singing, and inclusive vocal instruction. He is the author of Queering Vocal Pedagogy (Bloomsbury, 2022) and has published articles in the Journal of Singing, Choral Journal, Journal of Music Teacher Education, and VOICEPrints, as well as chapters in books published by Oxford University Press, Routledge, GIA Publications, and Pavane Publishing. His research has been presented at regional, national, and international conferences for organizations including the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the American Choral Directors Association, the National Association for Music Education, the International Society for Music Education, Chorus America, the College Music Society, the Society for Music Teacher Education, and the Royal Musical Association. He is a frequent clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor, in addition to serving as a resident faculty member for Schmidt Vocal Institute.

Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for his "limpid tone and astonishing eloquence," Sauerland maintains an active performing career as a countertenor. A former member of the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer, he has performed throughout North America and internationally and appears on multiple recordings released by Warner Classics. His solo engagements include performances with American Bach Soloists, Echoing Air, Festival Opera, Folger Consort, Handel Opera Project, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Oakland Symphony, Pacific Chorale, and numerous other professional ensembles specializing in early music.

Sauerland earned the Doctor of Education in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. As a Marshall Scholar, he completed both the Master of Music and Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Vocal Performance at the Royal College of Music in London. He received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

A complete list of Sauerland’s publications are available on Google Scholar.